Best Android Games of 2012

Smarmy bards and groovy grannies were abound in the Android app market in 2012. Do you want to play a tale of epic adventure or raise your own agriculture empire? Some of the toughest decisions to make are those that involve which mobile apps to buy. We decided to help you out with a list of the best Android games in 2012!

The Bard’s Tale

Although The Bard’s Tale came to Android in 2012, it has been a popular title for PCs and consoles since 2004. If you like Adventure Games with a dose of self-aware sarcasm, it’s a great title to have in your mobile gaming library. The gameplay is much like a traditional Role-Playing Game, as slaying fiends and completing quests earns experience and gold. Players can use this to level up abilities and get shiny new gear. However, this game’s real flare shows in its dialogue and narration – you’ll notice right in the tutorial that the main character gets confused when the narrator tells the player which buttons to press to perform certain actions. Medieval bards didn’t have smartphones, after all! Android Police contributor Ryan Whitwam did note that this title is a little more intensive on space requirements than traditional mobile games, with 3.5 GB of game data. However, the 30 hours of witty content makes it well worth the storage requirement!

“Before The Bard’s Tale even got underway, I was impressed with the serious RPG aspects of the game,” wrote Whitwam. “You get to customize the skill points the Bard has. You can crank up strength to be a melee brawler, or dump points into dexterity to master the bow. There is also a talent system that lets you add various perks, like dual wielding or critical hit multipliers.”

Sandago

It’s time to put on your Puzzle Game thinking caps. If you’ve ever played Tetris, you’ll be familiar with the basic idea of Sandago. The main difference is that players are tasked with managing different colors of falling sand. Gamezebo contributor Andy Chalk noted that this is a little more challenging than arranging Tetris blocks, as sand is known for shifting around. You do get some help when the “concrete sand” appears. This will take on the color of whatever sand it touches, so it works much like a wild card. The challenge of this game isn’t in keeping your screen clear – it’s in arranging multiple piles to maximize your score!

“It’s relaxing, soothing and almost hypnotic at times,” Chalk wrote. “The difficulty automatically increases from ‘relaxing” to “insane’ as you progress through a level so there’s definitely a challenge, but the leap from one end of the scale to the other is very gradual and not as dramatic as it sounds. And in a nice touch, passing through the ‘insane’ level causes the game to automatically reset to ‘relaxing,’ providing an opportunity to slow down and catch your breath.”

Granny Smith

If you’re wondering why granny is skating down a path littered with obstacles, don’t worry, she has a good reason in Granny Smith. Some young hooligan stole her apples and she’s aiming to get them back, even if she has to do a few slides and grinds to catch the culprit. Granny has a few tools in her arsenal to help out, including baseballs to slow the thief down or to clear a path. You can also use bananas to knock him off his skates!

Google Play Users were won over by granny’s gravity-defying stunts, as they awarded the game a 4.8 out of 5. Not too shabby for a rock n’ rollin grandma!
“Granny Smith is a fun, high-speed platformer,” wrote Touch Arcade contributor Nissa Campbell, “It’s nice to take a break from the endless types and still keep up the inertia that goes with them.”

Farm Frenzy 3

If you think managing a farm is challenging, try producing the best produce across several countries! Farm Frenzy 3 is a Time Management Game with 95 agriculture action-packed levels, exotic animals and dangerous predators. Players received the title well, awarding it a 4.7 rating out of 5 on Google Play, and it really does have something for everyone. If you just want to cruise through the levels at your own pace, that’s fine. If you have a competitive spirit, the global leader boards will show the top farm owners in the world!

“And since in-game currency is awarded for the speedy completion of levels, the pressure is on to juggle as many concurrent tasks as you can, with the maximum possible efficiency,” wrote Pocket Gamer contributor James Nouch. “Your sense of satisfaction is derived from the mastery of this juggling act, and while it’s a shame that interaction is limited to touchscreen taps anything more involved would have robbed Farm Frenzy 3 of some pace and accessibility.